STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2173

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2409

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Tourism and Government Operations, to which was referred S.B. No. 2409 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC PROCUREMENT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to protect the interests of state residents, workers, and businesses by establishing a "sweatfree" public procurement policy and code of conduct that ensures that apparel, garments and related accessories, and other equipment, materials, and supplies procured by the State and counties, including their agencies and employees, through contracts, purchase orders, or uniform allowances and voucher programs are produced in workplaces free of sweatshop conditions.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from SweatFree Communities and UNITE HERE.  Testimony in opposition was received from the Department of Accounting and General Services.  Comments were received from the State Procurement Office. 

     The intent of this measure is to ensure that vendors of state and local government goods and services produce their labor and wares with a minimum amount of human decency.  Your Committee finds that the State and counties should not make procurements from companies that operate sweatshops.  Such purchases serve to promote the plight of laborers and deny laborers' basic human rights.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Tourism and Government Operations that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2409, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2409, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Tourism and Government Operations,

____________________________

CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair